Have you ever thought about the lives of the people that pass you in the street?

I'm sitting in Starbucks sipping my grande caramel coffee frappuccino with whipped cream (yes it's my day off but I clearly can't get enough of the place!) waiting to feel inspired to write something. Earlier today I was lying in bed with lots of ideas but I thought I would take my laptop in to town and chill out in Starbucks whilst I wrote. That was about 5 hours ago now, I'm sitting here watching the world go by with all my ideas from this morning, vanished. However, as I watch all the people pass by the window it's got me thinking about all the different people in the world. I don't know these people but they all have lives, they've been places, they've seen places and just because they mean nothing to me they have families and friends and lives full of different things.

Obvious right? The point I'm trying to make is that there are some extraordinary people in the world. Not just the ones that are famous and have done famous things for the world to know about but what about all the people that have fought in a war, saved someones life, given blood, donated an organ, survived a life threatening illness, raised money for a charity, flown out to underprivileged countries to help people that aren't as fortunate? What about all the nurses and doctors in the world that we don't know that are helping to save lives each and every day. For all I know the old lady with a pretty floral bag that had just walked past the window of Starbucks may have once upon a time saved a life or of had her life saved.

Have you ever thought that in a crowd of people there might be someone that you've met before but you'll never know or someone that grew up in the same town as you or maybe even someone that was born in the same hospital you were born in. Things like that must happen all the time but unless you have a reason to talk to these people you'll never know. It's like the saying goes "It's a small world." It's not, but sometimes you meet people that you share experiences with, I often find that. I often bump in to people that share mutual friends or something similar and often I use the phrase. If you think about it though, it's a silly phrase. The world is not at all small but it can often feel like it, especially when you are a long way from home and meet people that are from the same place as you.

There are so many people with a story to tell in this crazy old world so I think when someone has something to say it's worth listening because you never know what they have seen and what they have experienced. One day someone might open their mouth and say something which shocks you, pleases you or maybe even something that changes your life. Everyone has something to say.

Albert Einstein Quote

                                   I came across this quote on stumbleupon.

Having the imagination to create and inspire can sometimes mean more and I think that's something important to remember. Imagination, can take you anywhere and make everyday that little bit more exciting.

Southampton Strikes

I have always been bought up to care about the world around me, my parents recycle everything that they can, the TV is turned off at the wall when it's not being used and the rule always stands that if you leave a room you turn the light off. My dad has drummed this in to me from a very young age, I will admit he does still have to moan at me now and then when I leave something on over night or I put cardboard or plastic in to the rubbish bin, but I do what I can.

Now that I am living in a rented house with other young people I'm struggling to live by those rules which at the moment is made even harder by the continuous bin strikes in Southampton (yeah that's right, bin strikes - they are not kool.) Our recycling bin is still full from the people that lived in this house before and I would put money on the fact it doesn't even have recyclable items in it. The strike is a massive hassle and the streets of Southampton are absolutely disgusting to say the least. Bins are full to the brim in the high street causing litter to fall on to the floor and be swept up and down the street by the wind, gathering in shop door ways and around seating areas. I wonder, what people think if they are visiting Southampton for the day or for a holiday. They wont exactly leave thinking it's a gorgeous city with well kept streets will they now? As for the polygon where a lot of the student houses are, bins are full causing bin bags to be thrown on to the pavement and during the night ripped and torn apart by animals which leaves rubbish up and down the pavements and no one clears it up. It doesn't just look awful, I can imagine how much of a health hazard it is. With the weather like it has been lately the high temperatures cause it to smell and I'm sure I don't need to tell you it's a rats haven. I dread to think what goes on outside my bedroom window on the roads when we go to sleep at night.


So why does Southampton currently look like a landfill site? Well, 4,300 council workers including bin men and street cleaners, have been threatened with being sacked from their positions if they do not agree to sign up to new contracts which will cut their pay by up to 5.5 percent from July 11th. These budget savings need to be made to save 400 jobs. The strikes are in to their third month now and the streets are getting worse. Read more here.


So with the strike not exactly helping with recycling in our new house, I'm feeling guilty every time I put a can or plastic in to the bin. I can just imagine my dad shaking is head disappointingly at me. Not only that, I feel guilty. I don't just recycle because my dad says I should, It's because I care as well. Some people are ignorant to global warming, and the effect it has on the planet. I'm no expert to be honest but I do care. Some people just point blank don't!

The issue of having no where to put the rubbish as the bins are full outside is a problem. We seem to generate so much waste and because everything is being thrown in together we are having to take the bins out every couple of days. If we flattened plastic packaging and cardboard etc. and separated our waste the bin in the kitchen definitely would not fill up so quickly. I'll reiterate my point however, with the bins outside still full, if we separate our rubbish there will quite literally be no where to put it. It's like viscous circle. Either way we can't win until the strike ends, we have empty bins and we know what we are doing and where everything goes.

So I now realise how much I sound like a moaning old woman but I think it's all relevant right? I might only be 19 but you can care about these things just as much as when your young and I think some people seem to forget that.

Hell yeah - I work at Starbucks!

After a stressful few days moving in to the new house with two previous flat mates and a new one, Monday morning came and I was up bright and early with a handful of CVs ready to hit Southampton hard, I needed a job big time. The idea of having to pay 3 months rent with no help from student finance was freaking me out big time. I went every where, all the shops, cafes, restaurants and bars - someone had to have me!

I pushed the big glass door in to the Starbucks store where I noticed the poster on the door, "Come and join our team?" Well at least they were hiring and I wasn't in danger of handing over my CV hopefully only for them to say: "We will keep it on our records and let you know if anything comes up." For them to throw it in a pile of paper work never to be seen again. The Starbucks staff were cheerful and welcoming and like very few of the places I had been the day spoke to me about the job vacancy for a few good minutes and even read through my CV while I was still there. I had a good feeling and sure enough within an hour later the store manager was on the phone inviting me back for a 'chat' and within the next hour I had secured a job interview. Successful job hunting day I would say.

An interview and trial shift later I was a Starbucks employee and I am now two shifts in to my new job. The first day was as okay as first days go, I felt pretty useless and in the way but at least on your first day you can get away with it. Today however was hectic and scary. Starbucks is fast paced and today I could not keep up. When there's six drinks lined up waiting to be made all completely different with special requirements I forget what I've been taught and look blankly at the other staff hoping someone will help me. Which of course they do. My problem is I panic and the more I panic the more I have no idea what I am doing. Don't get me wrong I am learning but these things take time you know. I have just about mastered lattes and cappuccino but throw in a caramel machiato, whatever kind of frappuccino and white skinny mocha with extra cream it all gets a little bit complicated.

I will get there. In the mean time I can enjoy the free drinks before and after and during my shifts and 30% off at any other time, oh yeah! Plus, free bags of tea or coffee (definitely a win for my caffeine addiction) and as a 'partner' I get shares in Starbucks. Crazy stuff don't you think? It's all pretty exciting and I'm sure I'll be a pro at making frappuccinos and the like within no time at all.

I have a house!

I guess you could say the next phase has begun. Last week I moved back to Southampton, packed up my little room in halls and said goodbye to the first year of University and the fun, arguments  and tears we shared in those hallways and moved across town in to a house. For a student house it's pretty damn impressive. We have reclining sofas, a spice rack, wine rack and a pull out ironing board! I'm not even kidding, you pull out a draw and da-da there's an ironing board. It's actually amazing - I love our house!

The only down side is that at the moment we don't have internet as such because it takes weeks for it to be set up. I feel lost without it and because I've been so out of touch with the internet my blog is seriously lacking in life right now. I have taken to using my mac in Starbucks every now and again to get updated with what's going on in the world, which - by the way is where I now. Hell yeah, I work for Starbucks.  So since I have stopped blogging regularly lots seems to have happened and changed which gives me loads to blog about but with the busy bustle of life and lack of internet access I just havn't been able to.

In yet another attempt to revamp this blog I will write about all those things that have made the last month so incredibly hectic from the good to the bad from the funny to the sad and all the bits in between.

Watch this space.

I disappeared for a few weeks but I'm back...

It's been a busy few weeks and therefore my blogging had taken a bit of a back seat on my list of things to do but I'm back and I have so much to write about I'm not quite sure where to start.

A couple of weeks ago I did a weeks work experience with Perfect Wedding Magazine. I can tell you now, it certainly was an experience. I spent the week staying in a complete strangers house in the middle of Bristol completely by myself, in - I must add - a seriously dodgy area! I didn't think she double locked the flat for nothing! When I first mentioned I was doing working experience in Bristol my flat mate instantly piped up: "Oh you can stay with my friend." With out another thought the plans was made.

A couple of months later and there I was arriving in rainy Bristol by train, with a huge pink suitcase that I couldn't hardly manage to stay as I said, in a strangers house. Thankfully I was made extremely welcome and the flat was very cute and cosy but sadly I'd be spending the week there on my own while she was needed away else where. I figured it wouldn't be a huge issue but as I was left on my own that, I realised it was going to be a long and lonely week.

All of that being said, the reason I was there in the first place was for my work experience placement at Perfect Wedding Magazine. I was so incredibly nervous as I caught the lift to the 9th floor reception and waited to be met by the editorial assistant. I didn't really have any idea what to expect. Would I be making tea all day? Would they be nice? Will they thing I'm useless? Will they talk to me? It turned out I hadn't needed to have worried about it.

The office was smaller that I thought and there were less people working on the magazine that I'd expected but that made friendlier and relaxed. Everyone was lovely and made me feel very welcome which was of course very settling. On the first day I was given small photo sourcing jobs to do for their new website which will be launching soon. Basically I spent the first day looking at stunning wedding dresses and breathtaking honeymoon destinations. Easy yes, but also pretty tedious.

By the end of the week I'd had the chance to work on things which would be appearing in the magazine, admittedly not huge features and not masses of writing but it's all experience right? I wrote out captions to images, found out the prices of products and found appropriate pictures for some articles. I also sourced images for two regular pages: "Get the celebrity bridal look," and "Get the celebrity bridesmaid look." So when the issue goes on sale in August I can say, I created those pages. That pleases me quite a lot. The other page I can take credit for is the very back page. You know how Glamour does something like "10 Reasons to emigrate." (Or something similar, that's only my mind because it is raining." Well I wrote Perfect Weddings, "13 reasons we love a budget wedding!"

So there we have it, by the end of the week it felt like I'd learned a lot about how a magazine gets put together, from initial planning to going to print. It was my first my placement and I am excited to see where else I can get some work experience because I loved it, despite my initial worrying. When the week was over I went to London to stay with my boyfriend in Kingston and now I am home again preparing for the move to the house in Southampton, it's all happening very fast. I swear I only started University a couple of months ago.

So, I've joined the world of Twitter

It's happened, I have succumbed and entered the word of twitter.
I never really understood the concept of it, and facebook had been satisfying my social networking needs since I left school, therefore I had no desire for Twitter. I have come to realised that in this day and age, Twitter is a journalists best friend and I am an aspiring journalist. It's something I have known for a while but it has taken until now to allow myself to give in to Twitter. Besides, it is pretty cool that you can keep track of what celebrities are up to. Within half an hour of signing up, I was already following over 60 people, I was hooked pretty quite to tell you the truth.

I do wonder however, where did Twitter come from? One minute everyone is all over facebook and the next it's all about tweeting. Social networking is a fast paced and quick to change little world though isn't it. We have seen this before, when everyone went from MySpace to Bebo and then on to facebook. Personally MySpace never appealed but through secondary school I was one of millions obsessed with Bebo and it's comments, photo sharing and the little cyber world that it creates away from the real world. I do think social networking is excellent but doesn't it distract young people away from the real world a little bit?

This is where I become incredibly hypocritical but if you could just forget that I have a obsession with facebook and a developing obsession with twitter, I would be most grateful. Social networking distracts people from the real world, instead of phoning someone or meeting someone to catch ip we think that a brief chat on facebook or a couple of comments here and there will do the job. Maybe it does in this day and age but when our parents were younger social networking was done in person not through a computer screen. Having an online profile in theory can allow you to make yourself who ever you want to be, it's almost like recreating yourself, through just a few lines of text you can tell the world what you want them to think of you. Doesn't sound like a negative point but surely you want someone to get to know you as a person, not your facebook profile?

All this being said, in the 21st century social networking sites have in actual fact become a link to the rest of the world. Facebook and twitter don't just reach out to young people wanting to keep in touch with friends but to businesses, shops, newspapers and magazine and celebrities. They entertain and inform you. Twitter in particular has updates from magazines and newspapers continuously, bringing you the latest headlines, breaking news, competitions and gossip. It's all there with just a click of a button, and when you've read your magazine from cover to cover but you want more Twitters there waiting for you.

Yes, I think social networking sites have their negatives but the world is changing and young people adapt easily to these changes and for the media and journalism they can only be benefits.